Birth of Yeshua

Most Gentile Christians wouldn't bother to speculate about the time when
Jesus was born. They celebrate it on December 25th even though they know
there is no Biblical basis for choosing that date. However, there are some
Messianic Jews who believe that they know, with a reasonable degree of
certainty, the time of year when Yeshua (Jesus) was born. Taking into
account certain Jewish customs and traditions, it's not difficult to
calculate it.

There is quite a wide consensus of opinion that Yeshua was born at some
time during the High Holy Days of Rosh Hashana (New Year) and Yom Kippur
(Day of Atonement), or at Succot (Tabernacles) which follows soon
afterwards. These festivals normally occur in the Autumn, about September
or October, but it varies from year to year because the Jewish calendar is
based on the cycles of the moon and doesn't fit in with the Gregorian
calendar.

The calculation of the time of Yeshua's birth begins with Zechariah, the
father of John the Baptist. According to Luke 1:5 he was a priest of the
order of Abijah. He was performing his duties, burning incense in the
Temple, when an angel appeared and said his wife Elizabeth would conceive
and bear a son, and he would be called Yochanan (John).

The order in which the priestly families performed their duties is given
in 1 Chronicles 24:7-18. According to the Mishnah, the cycle begins on the
first Shabbat (Sabbath) of Nisan, and each family of priests would
minister in turn for one week. Since there are 24 families, each family
would minister about twice a year. The cycle would be delayed slightly
because all priests, regardless of their families, were required to be at
the Temple for the three festivals of Pesach (Passover), Shavuot
(Pentecost) and Succot (Tabernacles).

The family of Abijah was eighth in line, so Zechariah would have had his
first period of duty during Sivan (about June) and his second period
during Kislev about six months later. There is no way of knowing for sure
which period of duty is referred to in Luke's Gospel, but if we suppose it
is the first period we get some very interesting results.

Zechariah finished his first period of duty about the middle of Sivan.
Because of his unbelief, God struck him dumb, but his reproductive system
was still working. He went home to his wife and she became pregnant. Count
off 40 weeks, the usual period of gestation, and we get to the month of
Nisan the following year. Beginning on the 14th of Nisan, and lasting for
eight days, we have the festival of Pesach (Passover), which roughly
coincides with Easter on the Christian calendar. This raises the distinct
possibility that John the Baptist was born at Pesach, which coincides with
the Jewish expectation that Elijah would come at Pesach. The Jews always
put an extra cup of wine on the table at Pesach, in the hope that Elijah
will come and drink it.

If John the Baptist was born at Pesach, Yeshua (Jesus) must have been
born during the High Holy Days or at Succoth. In Luke 1:26 and 36 we are
told that Yeshua was six months younger than John.

When the decree went out for everyone to go to their home town to be
registered, Joseph and Mary set off for Bethlehem. They would have set out
in good time, before Mary was fully 40 weeks pregnant, because she
wouldn't want to be jogged into childbirth while riding on a donkey.
Besides, they would have wanted to complete the journey before Rosh
Hashana.

We are given a clue about the time of the birth by the angel who
appeared to the shepherds and said "Fear not: for, behold, I
bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people".
(Luke 2:10). There are actually two clues here. Succot is a festival of
joy, and it is also known as the "Festival of the Nations". The
angel was actually giving them a greeting for the Festival of Succot. This
is the only festival where the nations are positively encouraged to
participate. (Zechariah 14:16-19).

During Succot, the Jews contruct flimsy shelters called "Succah",
using wood and leaves, and eat or sleep in them. This is to remember how
they were completely dependent on God as they wandered around for forty
years in the desert when they came out of Egypt. They are celebrating "God
with us".

The birth of Yeshua at Succot fulfils another prophecy: "Behold,
a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall
call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us".
(Matt. 1:23, a quotation from Isaiah 7:14).

If this is not enough, we also have to consider the type of dwelling in
which Yeshua was born. Had it not been for the inconvenience caused by the
census, he would have been born in a house like all other children. But he
wasn't, he was born in a stable, a flimsy dwelling where they kept sheep
and cattle. So he was born in a Succah, to indicate that God had come to
earth to dwell with humanity.

Eight days later, according to Luke 2:21, he was circumcised. NOT in the
Temple as some suppose, but in Bethlehem, probably in the Succah where he
was born. Mary would still be ceremonially unclean for 33 days after the
circumcision according to Leviticus 12. Besides, she would be unlikely to
travel to Jerusalem so soon after the birth even though it was not very
far.

If the day of his birth was the first day of Succot, the day of his
circumcision would be the eighth day of Succot which, like the first day,
is a day of sacred assembly. (Leviticus 23:39). On this day, or
traditionally the day after, the Jews complete their annual cycle of Torah
readings and start again from Bereshit (Genesis). It is called Simchat
Torah (Rejoicing of the Law), and is considered to be a time of "fulfilment"
of the Torah. The circumcision of Yeshua at this time indicates how he had
come to fulfil the Law and the Prophets (Matt. 5:17-18). Also in John 1:14
we read about how "The Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us"
- another obvious reference to Succot.

When the days of Mary's purification were over (33 days after the
circumcision), they would have made their way to Jerusalem to sacrifice a
pair of doves or young pigeons. (Luke 2:22-24). Then they went back to
Nazareth (Luke 2:39).

Every year they went to Jerusalem for Pesach. (Luke 2:41). During one of
these visits, probably when Yeshua was two years old, they went to
Bethlehem and stayed, not in a stable, but in a house. (Matt. 2:11). They
were visited by the Magi, and then had to flee to Egypt to escape from
Herod because he was killing all the male children two years old and
under.

Starting from Zechariah, the father of John the Baptist, and his first
period of duty in the Temple, and doing a few simple calculations, we
arrive at a result which gives a new and profound meaning to many passages
of Scripture, and for that reason, I think Yeshua is very likely to have
been born at Succot.

So what are we going to do now? Are we going to continue observing
Christmas on December 25th (which incidentally has pagan origins), or are
we going to celebrate the birth of Yeshua at Succot? If we do (and we
don't have to become Jewish to do it) we will be creating the conditions
in which Zechariah 14:16-19 can be fulfilled. People will say "Since
we are celebrating Succot, why not do it in Jerusalem?". Up to a
point, this is already being fulfilled by large numbers of Christians who
go to Jerusalem for a Succot celebration each year, but it could get
bigger.

In Israel it's impossible to miss these festivals, but for the benefit
of those in the Diaspora the year 2005 dates are:

Rosh Hashana (New Year) Tues. 4 October

Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement) Thurs. 13 October

1st Day of Succot (Tabernacles) Tues. 18 October

8th Day of Succot Tues. 25 October

Simchat Torah (Rejoicing of the Law) Wed. 26 October

The Jewish day begins at sunset which means, for example, Rosh Hashana
begins at sunset on Monday 3rd October.